3Com 3CRWE554G72 manual Glossary

GLOSSARY 115

MAC Media Access Control. A protocol specified by the IEEE for determining which devices have access to a network at any one time.

MAC Address Media Access Control Address. Also called the hardware or physical address. A layer 2 address associated with a particular network device. Most devices that connect to a LAN have a MAC address assigned to them as they are used to identify other devices in a network. MAC addresses are 6 bytes long.

NAT Network Address Translation. NAT enables all the computers on your network to share one IP address. The NAT capability of the Gateway allows you to access the Internet from any computer on your home network without having to purchase more IP addresses from your ISP.

Network A Network is a collection of computers and other computer equipment that are connected for the purpose of exchanging information or sharing resources. Networks vary in size, some are within a single room, others span continents.

Network Interface A circuit board installed into a piece of computing equipment, for Card (NIC) example, a computer, that enables you to connect it to the network. A

NIC is also known as an adapter or adapter card.

Protocol A set of rules for communication between devices on a network. The rules dictate format, timing, sequencing and error control.

PPPoE Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. Point-to-Point Protocol is a method of data transmission originally created for dial-up connections; PPPoE is for Ethernet connections.

PPTP Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol is a method of secure data transmission between two remote sites over the internet.

RJ-45A standard connector used to connect Ethernet networks. The “RJ” stands for “registered jack”.

Server A computer in a network that is shared by multiple end stations. Servers provide end stations with access to shared network services such as computer files and printer queues.